View the Winning Image and Twenty Favorites on Tamron’s Online Photo Gallery

November 12, 2007, Commack, NY—The Tamron “Make Your Mark: Landmarks—Natural or Manmade” 2007 Photo Contest was a noteworthy success in terms of participation—we received nearly 1,000 entries—and the outstanding quality of the images submitted. Iconic images of natural and manmade landmarks large and small poured in from every region of the country, many capturing well-known subjects from unique perspectives. The pictures submitted also exhibited a technical mastery that highlighted both the talent of the photographers and the performance of the Tamron lenses they used. Choosing the winners from the huge number we received was anything but easy, but we did our best and are gratified to honor those that made the cut.

Recapping the Rules: The Tamron “Make Your Mark: Landmarks—Natural or Manmade” 2007 Photo Contest was open to U.S. residents submitting any original photograph prominently including a natural or manmade landmark that was taken with a Tamron lens. The Grand Prize: A magnificent Tamron AF18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Aspherical LD Di II (IF) Macro zoom lens in the DSLR mount of the winner’s choice, plus having the winning picture showcased in the Tamron Viewfinder newsletter, and in the Gallery section of the popular Tamron website. In addition, twenty photographers whose images were selected as Favorites would have their names and winning images published on the website for all to admire.

Grand Prize: Mountain’s Majesty
The 2007 Grand Prize Winner: Tracy Arcari of Wheatogue, Connecticut who took top honors for her breathtaking picture of The Mittens, a justly renowned rock formation in Monument Valley, Arizona. “I was on a 3-day Southwest workshop in Page, Arizona with mentor John Kozak, who took us to this great location, but the conditions at the time were so awful we couldn’t even see the renowned rock formations. Then, about 45 minutes after the sandstorm blew by, the air cleared except for some lingering dust that reflected the late afternoon light, and this magnificent vista came into view. I quickly picked up my Nikon D200 with Tamron AF17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical (IF) lens and took the picture, which I cropped slightly but did not enhance before submitting it. The whole experience was just awesome and I couldn’t believe it when I opened the image on my computer screen!”

Arcari, who has been shooting seriously with a DSLR for only two years, is an emerging pro whose specialty is portraiture and weddings. “All my lenses are Tamron,” she says “and my favorite for shooting people pictures is the Tamron 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3, but when I go on photography trips, I use my Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 lens almost exclusively because it’s a fantastic lens for landscapes. I strive to capture special moments and to take pictures that affect people emotionally.” Her Grand Prize-winning image does both!

A Favorite: Gateway Arch In Winter
Timothy O’Brien of Florissant, Missouri captured this powerfully graphic and somber image of the famed Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the big city closest to his home. He framed it against a bald sky and leafless trees to emphasize the starkness of the scene, shot the picture with his Nikon D70 and Tamron AF28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) lens at 1/320 sec at f/7.1, then converted the image file to black & white.

A serious photographer for 6 years, O’Brien is a semi-pro who is establishing himself by showing and selling his work at art shows. “For me photography is a form of self-expression and communication,” he observes, “and that’s why I try to capture images that elicit an emotional response in those who view them.” O’Brien is also a big fan of Tamron lenses. “I love my Tamron 28-300mm, but I’ve also used the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro and 17-50mm f/2.8, and I’m looking forward to acquiring a Tamron 18-250mm. There are never any quality issues with Tamron lenses—they’re all first class.”

A Favorite: The Lincoln Memorial Lives
Matthew Johnson of Shortsville, New York shot this unusual and compelling view of the Lincoln Memorial while visiting his sister, who lives in Washington DC. “I was walking around the National Mall and it was late and cold—about 15 degrees—and I had no gloves!” recalls Johnson. “My hands were freezing and I was just snapping away with my new Canon EOS 20D with the Tamron AF28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) Macro lens when I decided to take a few pictures from different angles to get something unique. It wasn’t until I got home, that I realized I had succeeded.”

Johnson, a professional architect and urban planner, is now freelancing in graphic design and getting into photography by shooting portraits semi-professionally. “An established pro recommended that I get the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 lens when I bought my Canon,” says O’Brien, “and I’m sure glad she did. I’ve fallen in love with it and I keep it on my camera most of the time. It’s a great tool for what I want to do, namely shoot pictures that convey my personal take on what others might like to see.”

We at Tamron extend our heartfelt congratulations to the winner and our deepest appreciation to all the talented photographers who participated in Tamron’s “Make Your Mark: Landmarks—Natural or Manmade” 2007 Photo Contest. We encourage all photo enthusiasts, especially Tamron shooters, to take a close look at all the outstanding “Landmarks” images posted in the photo gallery under Photo Contests at http://www.tamron.com/lenses/learning_center/default-new.asp. We hope the winning and favorite pictures will also inspire you to go out and shoot great Tamron images of your own—and to enter them in the 2008 Tamron Photo Contest.

Announcing Tamron’s 2008 Photo Contest & the Debut of the People’s Choice Award!
The theme for Tamron’s big 2008 Photo Contest is “Wet & Wild,” a very broad and exciting picture category that includes any images prominently including water—a lake, ocean, river, stream, pool, water slide, waterfall, even a sprinkler or bathtub! Pictures submitted must be original, the property of the photographer, and photographed using a Tamron lens. The contest is open to Tamron users residing in the United States and all entries must be received no later than October 31, 2008. Complete details and an entry form can be found at www.tamron.com. The Grand Prize Winner of the 2008 contest will receive a Tamron AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC LD Aspherical IF Macro zoom lens featuring Tamron’s new Vibration Compensation mechanism (a $599 value).

We’re also announcing an exciting new prize level: The People’s Choice award. All contest entries for the 2008 contest should be uploaded* to our photo sharing gallery on our website so that viewers can vote on them. We will award a $100 Gift Card to the authorized Tamron dealer of choice to the photographer who submitted the image that gets the highest combination of top-rating and views. For details on dates, and how you can enter and judge images, please go to www.tamron.com.

*In case a photo cannot be uploaded, send the photo via USPS or email and we will upload it for you—see the rules on our website for details or call us at 1-800-827-8880.

Tamron is a leading manufacturer of lenses for photographic, industrial, laboratory, video, digital and scientific applications. Among its many optical and mechanical innovations since the start of the company in 1950, Tamron's development of mass produced hybrid aspherical elements in 1992 paved the way for high ratio zoom lenses. The technology was incorporated into the ground-breaking 28-200mm and continues with the new 18-250mm developed exclusively for use on digital SLR cameras featuring an unprecedented 13.9X zoom range. Tamron has won more awards for its high ratio zoom lenses than all other lens manufacturers combined.

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